Method of making tile clay products and apparatus therefor



Dec. 11, 192s.. 1 1,695,119

H. A. SHUGART METHOD OF MAKLNG TILE CLAY PRODUCTS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed 00's. 24, 1927 www Patented Dec. 11, 1928.

l AUNITEDsra'rss HER-BERT A. snuciinr, or kSANTA aus. CALIFORNIA.

METHOD or MAKING TILE cLArRonuc'trs AND Ai?:eiiiiii'iius"rnnnniioie.

Application filed ctober 24, `1927. Serial No. 228,264.

which manipulation yboth the upper and lower sides of the tile are brought in view of the operator, thus enabling hiin to note l and smooth out any voids inthe clay, or other defects. y f

It is another object ofthis inventionto provide a flexible sheet, having'at one side thereof a reinforcing or stiffening'meniber layer of clay, intended for the tile, is placed and smoothed out, andthen by raising one siderof the flexible sheet by the handle to turn or flap over the layer of clay upon a tile mold disposed by the side of it Lupon which the molding operation is finished. The tile is then dried and subsequently burnedin the usual manner.

lith the above and other objects inview, which will' appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists of the construction and arrangement of parts of the tile making apparatus and themethod of making the tile hereinafterl described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown an apparatus for making clay tiles and in which: l

Figure l is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 2 is a top plan view after the flexible sheet and the slab of plastic clay have been turned onto the inoldby a turning'movement of the' flexible sheet.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the appar ratus, showing in dotted lines the successive position of the slab of clay as the flexible sheet is turned onto the mold.

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a finished tile.

Fig. .6 is a fragmental view showing a stack of trays with the clay tiles thereon for r drying.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a vshown in Fig. l. 20 which serves as a handle on which'sheet a the f trapezoid 4portion of Vasuitable support, such as av sheet of flexible material 2 which-is preferably madefof lcanvas or similar material. f,

At one sido thereof a rod 3 is secured to the edge of the flexible sheet 2, which rod may project at either end at "4 beyond thefsheet 2 and which rod constitutes a handle forv Voperating the sheet. 5 is a mold, either of wood ordnetal, upon which theclay 'tile' is `finished, said mold being provided'with `handles 6 at either end for easier manipulation.' Z is a frame having -a recess 7-fin the :shape of a trapezoid vof thel dimensions corresponding tol the dimensions required for `the tile -to be made. VThe mold 5 and the frame 7 are placed conveniently side PATENT oFFicnf bench or table, upon which is disposed-a l by sideupon the flexible. sheetV 2, as clearly Cia-y sie is ,as

"lfheg'frame 7 is then removed leaving Vthe slab of clay` C corresponding Vin v.shape to 7V upon the flexible sheet 2. A sheet of paper 8 is now placed'eithervon the mold 5 or on top of theslabfof clay7 C and the operator grasps the rod or handle 3 and llifts 'thek same upwardly. so as to cause the `slab of clay C- to be moved or fall upon*v the mold 5. v These successive steps are clearly shown in Fig. 3, while Fig. 4 shows the position of the flexible sheet 2 yand the slab of clay C at the end of the turn-A ing movement. It should be noted that the slab of clayC'is turned upside downv in this movement and lies on the mold 5 with its bottom side up. The flexible sheet is then moved back Yinto its normal position. It should be noted that in the position shown in Fig. 4, a sheet of paper 8 is interposed between the mold and the slab of clay, preventing the clay from sticking to the mold. The paper l8 may be placed either on the slab of clay C direct, as shown, or on the mold 5.- The paper 8 could be omitted if other means are provided for preventing the clay from adhering to `the mold 5.'

i The clay on the mold 5 is now manipulatsired hand-made or rustic effect, leaving fin-n ger marks on the outer surface of the clay. The mold 5 with the plastic clay tile thereon is now removed to a drying tra 9, shown in Fig. 6, and conveniently slid o the mold 5 by nf'ithdrawing the latter, the tile C being supported by thc side edges thereof, and atter the proper degree of drying the tiles are burned in the usual or any preferred manner. v

It will thus be appreciated that While the tile may be said to be hand-made, which is desired, the manipulation is reduced to a minimum, enabling a workman to turn out a large number of clay tiles during the day,

thus reducing the cost of manufacture. Both the upper and lower sides of the slab of clay are exposed to his inspection, one side in the frame 7 and the other on mold 5, thus enablng him to smooth out any voids on either side, which results in a superior tile. The workman works the slab ot clay rst on the surface on the flexible sheet 2 and then the opposite side when the slab of clay has been deposited on the mold 5. In this manner both sides of the slab ot clay arefproperly Worked and the result is a superi-or tile of uniform construction. In the prior art the practice was to Work the top side only.

Various changes may be made by those skilled in the art in the construction and arrangement of parts of the apparatus, or in the steps of the method, Without departing from the spirit of my invention as described and claimed.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for making roof tiles, comprising a support, a iiexible sheet on said support,a removable frame on said sheet adapted to receive and shape a slab of plastic clay, and a tile mold adjacent said slab of clay, said sheet being held down on said support along a line intermediate said slab of clay and said tile mold, whereby on the turning movement of said sheet, said slab of clay is turned upsde down to rest on said mold.

2. An apparatus for making root tiles comprising a flexible sheet havingI a rod at one side thereof, a removable trame adapted to rest on said sheet. and to receive and shape a slab oi plastic clay, and a tile'mold adapted to receive the slab ot clay by a turning movement oi said sheet whereby said slab of clayV `is turned upside down to rest on said mold.

3. A method oi making root tiles comprising melding a slab of plastic clay on a flexible sheet supported by a surface, raising one side of said sheet to give the slab of clay a turning movement causing it to be deposited upside down on a tile mold, molding the upper surface of the slab of clay by hand, and drying and burning the tile.

4l. A method ot making roof tile comprising moldin t a slab ot plastic clay on a ilexible sheet supported by! a surface, raising one side of said sheet to give the slab of clay a turning movement causing it to be deposited upside down on a tile mold, `with va sheet of paper between said mold and said slab oiI clay, molding the upper surface of the slab of clay by hand, and drying and burning the tile.

5. A `method of making a root1 tile comprising molding ay slab of plastic clay on a flexible sheet supported by a surface, Working the upper face of said slab of clay by hand, raising one s'ide of said sheet to give the slab of clay a turning movement causing it to be deposited upside down on a tile mold, molding the upper face now presented by the slab of clay on said mold by hand, and drying and burning the tile In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HERBERT A. SHUGART. 

